Two newly elected board members, Susan Vernacchio and James Worrell, were supposed to be sworn in and the April 21 school board election results were supposed to be accepted by the board. However, that did not happen because there wasn't a quorum of the current, pre-swearing-in, board members.

Frederick Reel and Louis Fabiani did not show up. We were told on the meeting night by the superintendent, Robert Suessmuth, that he tried to contact both Fabiani and Reel by cell phone and land line. Fabiani, it was reported, said he had an emergency at home and Reel could not be reached.

Was it coincidental that these two board members did not show up to swear in the newly elected members? I truly believe it was done out of spite because Fabiani and Reel's fellow board member, incumbent Patrick Lani Jr., did not get enough votes in the election to remain on the board.

I also believe this was a stalling tactic so that Lani can demand his rightful recount. (Election night returns showed him losing by three votes.) I respect the recount. However, I do not respect the fact that these men did not show up to a planned board meeting for which many people took time out of their busy schedules to attend.

I apologize to Fabiani if he did have an emergency at home. But, unfortunately, the decision to skip Monday night's meeting looks to me like an orchestrated move made by a "concerned citizens" group that has backed Reel, Fabiani and Lani. This just proves to me that this group has no regard for the children of this town, and that its choices are on the board (to advance) this group's agendas.

I'm sure someone from this group will try to refute this letter, and that's fine. They are free to say what they want. But it is truly obvious to me and others in Greenwich what really happened at Monday night's meeting. If Reel and Fabiani do not show up for tonight's rescheduled board meeting, I demand their resignations.

Christine Franklin

Gibbstown

Editor's note: Tonight's rescheduled Greenwich school board meeting reportedly was canceled on Wednesday, because of the continued unavailability of a quorum.